"It was one of the worst things that I could've done for my career" - When Monica Seles spoke about her fight with food cravings
Turning pro in 1989 at the age of just 15, Monica Seles was arguably the most intense teenage tennis player the world had ever seen. But in her later years, especially after her tragic stabbing incident in 1993, Seles struggled with eating disorders - which in turn affected her career.
The Yugoslavian-American star won her first Grand Slam title when she was just 16 years old. She quickly rose to the top and stunned established players Steffi Graf, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on multiple occasions. Before turning 20, Seles had clinched as many as eight Grand Slam titles.
Everything went beyond well for the youngster until April 30, 1993. She was sitting in her chair during a match in Germany when a die-hard fan of Steffi Graf jumped on the court with a knife and attacked her in the back. The fan later confessed he did so to help Graf regain the World No. 1 ranking.
Seles was emotionally destroyed by the incident, and momentarily lost her passion for the sport. She stayed away from the court for almost three years.
During her treatment in the hospital after the unfortunate incident, she found out about her father's stomach cancer. And as she attempted to overcome her sadness, she learned that she enjoyed eating fast food.
In her 2009-released memoir Getting a Grip, Seles mentioned her love for pasta, burgers, potato chips, Taco Bell, cookies, and barbecue potato chips.
"I just didn't want to feel and I didn't want to face the reality. Food made me feel better for a very short period and then it had the total opposite effect because I started that self-hatred about why I couldn't control it. It was one of the worst things that I could've done for my career," she said.
The player returned to action in 1995 and even won another Major, her ninth and last, at the 1996 Australian Open. She fought her way back into the top five of the rankings, but could never reach her top level after the horrific stabbing.
Seles was not in the best shape in those years, but she once stated that her food cravings subsided as she made peace with her past.
"It was definitely not easy. It was baby steps. I didn't restrict myself from a single food. I had one cookie at dinner and I was fine because I knew I could have another cookie tomorrow. I didn't have those crazy needs in terms of food because I was suffocating my emotions with it," Monica Seles said.
Monica Seles was left furious with suspended sentence for her stabber
Gunter Parche, the man who stabbed Monica Seles, walked free after the Hamburg District Court gave him a suspended two-year sentence in 1993. The verdict drew sharp criticism from around the world and Seles herself expressed her disgust in a statement at the time, saying that she was as surprised as everyone else.
"I am as surprised as everyone else, and I just don't understand this. What kind of message does this send to the world? Mr. Parche has admitted that he stalked me, then he stabbed me once, and attempted to stab me a second time. And now the court has said he does not have to go to jail for this premeditated crime. He gets to go back to his life, but I can't because I am still recovering from his attack, which could have killed me," Monica Seles said.